River of Heaven

The creation of the River of Heaven (Milky Way) across the sky, associated with the myth of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

Galactic Center of the Milky Way

The hazy band of stars of the Milky Way was referred to as the "River of Heaven" or the "Silvery River" in Eastern Asian and Chinese mythology. The River of Heaven is a silver river flowing through the heavens.

Rendezvous in the Milky Way

Zhinü crossing the River of Heaven, as painted by Gai Qi, 1799

The Silvery River of Heaven is part of the "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" myth. The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is a romantic Chinese folk tale. The story tells of the romance between Zhinü (織女; the weaver girl, symbolizing the star Vega) and Niulang (牛郎; the cowherd, symbolizing the star Altair).^[1] Their love was not allowed, and thus they were banished to opposite sides of the heavenly river.^[1]^[2] Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge over the heavenly river to reunite the lovers for a single day.

Literature

The tale has been alluded to in many literary works. One of the most famous was the poem by Qin Guan (1049–1100) during the Song dynasty:

鵲橋仙

纖雲弄巧，
飛星傳恨，
銀漢迢迢暗渡。
金風玉露一相逢，
便勝卻人間無數。
柔情似水，
佳期如夢，
忍顧鵲橋歸路。
兩情若是久長時，
又豈在朝朝暮暮。

Meeting across the Milky way

Through the varying shapes of the delicate clouds,
the sad message of the shooting stars,
a silent journey across the Milky Way.
One meeting of the Cowherd and Weaver amidst the golden autumn wind and jade-glistening dew,
eclipses the countless meetings in the mundane world.
The feelings soft as water,
the ecstatic moment unreal as a dream,
how can one have the heart to go back on the bridge made of magpies?
If the two hearts are united forever,
why do the two persons need to stay together—day after day, night after night?^[3]

Du Fu (712–770) of the Tang dynasty wrote a poem about the heavenly river:

天河

常時任顯晦，
秋至輒分明。
縱被微雲掩，
終能永夜清。
含星動雙闕，
伴月落邊城。
牛女年年渡，
何曾風浪生。

The Heavenly River

Most of the time it may be hidden or fully visible,
but when autumn comes, it gets immediately bright.
Even if covered over by faint clouds,
in the long run it can be clear through the long night.
Full of stars, it stirs by paired palace gates,
moon’s companion, it sinks by a frontier fort.
Oxherd and Weaver cross it every year,
and when have storms ever arisen thereon?^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b Brown, Ju; Brown, John (2006). China, Japan, Korea: Culture and customs. North Charleston: BookSurge. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-4196-4893-9.
^ Lai, Sufen Sophia (1999). "Father in Heaven, Mother in Hell: Gender politics in the creation and transformation of Mulian's mother". Presence and presentation: Women in the Chinese literati tradition. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0312210540.
^ Qiu, Xiaolong (2003). Treasury of Chinese love poems. New York: Hippocrene Books. p. 133. ISBN 9780781809689.
^ Owen, Stephen [translator & editor], Warner, Ding Xiang [editor], Kroll, Paul [editor] (2016). The Poetry of Du Fu , Volume 2. De Gruyter Mouton. Pages 168–169. ISBN 978-1-5015-0189-0

[brown06-72-1] Brown, Ju; Brown, John (2006). China, Japan, Korea: Culture and customs. North Charleston: BookSurge. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-4196-4893-9.

[2] Lai, Sufen Sophia (1999). "Father in Heaven, Mother in Hell: Gender politics in the creation and transformation of Mulian's mother". Presence and presentation: Women in the Chinese literati tradition. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0312210540.

[3] Qiu, Xiaolong (2003). Treasury of Chinese love poems. New York: Hippocrene Books. p. 133. ISBN 9780781809689.

[4] Owen, Stephen [translator & editor], Warner, Ding Xiang [editor], Kroll, Paul [editor] (2016). The Poetry of Du Fu , Volume 2. De Gruyter Mouton. Pages 168–169. ISBN 978-1-5015-0189-0

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

River of Heaven

Literature

See also

References

Navigation menu